9I've had this plot bunny in my head for a while now, since Christmas really. I just never have time to sit down and write it. I hope you enjoy this.
Christmas Eve 1980
It was always Mrs. Evans' dream to have a large family, with grandchildren playing in the backyard while her own children watch over them. Her dream was almost accomplished. Both of her daughters have found loving husbands and were on their way to starting their own families. Petunia was especially vocal about her pregnancy and how her son was developing: always trying to show up Lily. While Lily would smile on and coo over her own Harry. Lily knew that Petunia was jealous of her magic, and tried to keep the peace.
'I guess I brought that one upon myself. I should have been more supportive to Petunia,' Mrs. Evans shook her head thinking, 'If only I could get those two to become the sisters they used to be. Before Lily's magic was noticed.'
Her dream seemed like it would be so close. Yet the rivalry Petunia had with Lily made Mrs. Evans feel like the happy family scene she envisioned would never happen. Mrs. Evans bustled around her kitchen, pulled out the ham from the oven and put the apple pie in. Mrs. Evans was determined that this Christmas, her daughters will get along.
She heard a car pull up in front of the house, followed by two loud cracks. 'This is it,' Mrs. Evans thought 'I hope they don't get too mad when they realize-'
"Why couldn't you have arrived like a normal person? What if the neighbors saw you just appear out of thin air," Petunia's voice drifts in from outside.
"Time to go play referee" Mrs. Evans says to herself. She opens the front door, "Girls! You are right on schedule. Now get out of this cold and come inside."
Lily and Petunia walk inside carrying their sons. Vernon and James quickly follow after their wives. They offer a quiet "Happy Christmas" to each other as Mrs. Evans begins to dote upon Harry and Dudley. The front room was warm and festive. A cheery fire was crackling in the fire place, while the tree sat in the corner. All that was missing was the angel on top.
"Now, let me see those adorable grandchildren of mine!" Mrs. Evans takes Dudley from Petunia, who tosses a snide look at Lily. Vernon puffs up with pride for his son. "Dudley is a right smart tyke. Just last week he started to roll around the living room to get his teddy." Mrs. Evans smiles down at Dudley, "Really now, well Petunia and Lily were always very active at this age. I wouldn't be surprised to see Dudley and Harry to be like their mothers."
Petunia takes Dudley back and Mrs. Evans turns to coo at Harry. "Look how he's grown! And all that hair!" Mrs. Evans takes Harry from Lily, and brushes his hair back. "Just like his father," Lily smiled at James.
"Mother!" Petunia interrupted. "It looks like you forgot the angel on the tree."
"I didn't forget, Pet" Mrs. Evans replied "I was merely waiting for two strapping young boys to help me put it up."
Mrs. Evans went to the cupboard and brought out a beautiful angel. Her wings were snowy white and her halo glittered prettily in the firelight. The sparkly ornament captured both Harry and Dudley's attention. While Dudley reached out his arms, Harry stared intensely at the angel. Mrs. Evans placed the angel on the coffee table and then brought out her camera. "I will want a picture of this for the boys' scrapbook! Vernon, James, pick up your sons and help them put on that angel!"
Dudley giggled as he was carried over to the tree, while Harry was still staring at the winged ornament. James grinned at his son, and saw the cogs in Harry's mind working. Harry showed some signs of accidental magic the previous day. James' marauder nature wanted to shock his in laws with Harry's magic abilities; instead of boasting and gloating over the fact like Vernon and Dudley.
"Why don't you show them what you learned last week, my boy?" James whispered into Harry's tiny ear. Harry reached out his pudgy hands to the angel. Thinking that Harry didn't want to be held, Lily came over to reassure her son. Lily's eyes met James, who shook his head. Lily smiled and sat down with her sister on the sofa. Petunia let out a screech that could deafen a banshee. All eyes in the room were on the angel slowly floating from Mrs. Evans to young Harry.
"Well bless my soul!" Mrs. Evans snapped a picture of the scene. "The first wizard in the family! I don't ever remember Lily doing magic this young. Is this normal for his age?"
Before Harry's fledgling magic gave out, James careful grabbed the angel from midair. "According to my own mother, I was a right hellion when I was not too much older than Harry," James said. "Harry will grow up to be a good old Gryffindor like his parents."
"Harry can be a gryinmore, but Dudley will be the brightest student in Smeltings!" Vernon exclaimed. "Why look at that intelligent gleam Duddy has in his eyes."
The intelligent gleam was merely a glazed look, as Dudley was not at all excited about his cousin's magical ability, or anything else going on in the room. Petunia was still startled by Harry's abrupt magic. Lily merely looked on with a grin. "I guess Dudley and Harry must have gotten their brains from their mothers, huh Petunia?" Lily said, with hopes that Petunia will not go off on a rant.
Those hopes were quickly diminished as Petunia opened her mouth to retort back. "Dudley's intelligent is nothing like Harry's! Dudley will be a perfectly normal boy. He has no need for that magic nonsense you seem to thrive for! He will-"
"Petunia!" Mrs. Evans interrupted her daughter angrily. "What kind of woman did I raise you to be? There is no need for arguments about normalcy and magic, especially at this time of the year. It's Christmas! This is a time for family and being together with loved ones. Now don't you look that way, you too Lily. You are sisters. You are also wives and mothers. Petunia, you need to be kind to your sister. And Lily, well."
"I know, mother." Lily said, "I'm sorry that Harry startled you Petunia. But it is called accidental magic for a reason."
Petunia sniffed, "Apology accepted. Let's just get on with this angel photograph nonsense, if we are all done discussing this."
Mrs. Evans directed everyone into a picture perfect pose, as Vernon and James held the infants up with the angel with Lily and Petunia standing on either sides of the tree. Neither Harry nor Dudley knew how to make an appropriately cute face for the picture, Mrs. Evans took enough to make sure that both boys were absolutely adorable and the couples were seeing stars.
"Come now, everybody," Mrs. Evans said as she led her family into the dining room. Petunia and James were each placing the boys into high chairs, while Mrs. Evans disappeared into the kitchen to get the ham.
"Who's ready to eat?" Mrs. Evans smiled at her lovely family. She placed the ham in the center and gave James the carving knife. After everyone plates were full, Vernon was given the nod for saying a blessing before the meal. The murmured prayer said, and a hearty amen around, Christmas dinner began.
"This tastes divine," James complimented.
"Well I did add my secret family ingredient," Mrs. Evans let on with a wink. Lily and Petunia smiled as they remembered the ingredient.
"A teaspoon of kindness, two drops of cheer, and a cup of laughter for all to hear," Lily and Petunia chorused.
"You two remember!" Mrs. Evans was shocked. The last time she told the girls that rhyme was when they were barely 8 and 9.
"How could we forget," laughed Petunia. "We thought that those were actual ingredients!"
"The laughter was always the hardest to measure! We didn't want you to heard, but we still had to be loud for it to work," Lily reminisced, as she fed Harry some mashed potatoes.
Christmas dinner continued with many more laughs than earlier. Memories were brought to the surface, and stories of Hogwarts were shared briefly. All in all, the two young families were becoming closer to one once more.
By the end of the night, Petunia and Lily have both warmed up to each other once more. Vernon has stopped trying to one up James, and James' marauder attitude has been held at bay. Harry and Dudley were both in the play pen with an abundance of soft Christmas toys from their Grandma Evans. While the old matriarch looked on the scene with joy in her heart and a smile on her face as she knit by the fireplace.
'This is just how I envisioned how to spend my Christmas Eve,' she thought to herself.
Petunia and Lily put their boys to bed in the guest room turned nursery. Everyone drifted to their respective rooms to sleep and dream of what gifts St. Nicholas will bring during the night.
Mrs. Evans drifted off to sleep; her thoughts were on the evening. 'I don't need any more gifts than the blessings I have already received from my family.'
Christmas Morning
As morning broke, Dudley began to sniffle. This in turn woke up Harry, who let out a great wail. As agreed upon the night before, the fathers were the ones to wake up and take care of the boys. A fresh diaper each and two happy infants later, James and Vernon find themselves sitting at the breakfast table nursing a cup of earl grey tea. A scratch was heard at the window.
"What's that at the window? Why is an owl awake still," Vernon questioned.
"Oh that's just the post. These little guys come every morning to deliver The Daily Prophet." James explained as he paid the small bird and opened the newspaper.
"Charming," Vernon looked on in disdain. "Since it appears that our wives will be sleeping for some time now. Why don't you and I make breakfast?"
"Great idea," replied James. "I'm an expert on eggs and bacon." James pulled out his wand and began cooking the only way he knew how, with magic.
Vernon was not to be outdone by anybody, magic or no magic. He got potatoes from the pantry and started making hash browns. In no time, they had a full breakfast set at the table and the rest of the house began to stir. Lily, shortly followed by Petunia, came down into the kitchen. Lily gave James a peck on the cheek as she accepted a cup of black tea. They made their way to the breakfast nook, when Lily noticed that Mrs. Evans had yet to wake up.
She went back upstairs and knocked on her mother's door. After a couple seconds of knocking with no response, Lily opened the door. Mrs. Evans appeared to be merely deeply asleep. As Lily turned on the light, she noticed that her mother's skin had a grey tint, unlike the lively pink tint from last night.
"Mother," Lily called, her eyes widened when she realized what has happened. "Mother, please wake up."
Back downstairs, Petunia began to think that Lily was taking too long to check on their mother. Then they all heard a heart wrenching cry coming from upstairs. Petunia, quickly followed by James and Vernon, raced up the stairs to see Lily kneeling at the side of Mrs. Evans death bed.
It wasn't until much later, that anyone could recall the peaceful expression that resided on Mrs. Evans face. Her dream of a large family had come true the night before. Mrs. Evans was able to die happy, knowing that her daughters will be sisters once more.
I know, I'm horrible for killing her off after one chapter. But she had a purpose and now it's been fulfilled. I hope you stick around for chapter two! Don't forget to leave a review! (I rhymed, tee hee!)